Oh, the Holidays!

Dear Family and Friends,

I thought I would share a fun story with you.  Sister Billings, my new companion waiting to go to Australia, and I were driving to our dinner appointment a few nights ago.  There is a street named St. Nicholas Drive in the neighborhood that we were in, and we eventually crossed it as well.  Here is the conversation we had after we passed it.

Me:  We just passed over St. Nicholas Drive.

Sister Billings:  Okay? (as in why are you telling me this?)

Me: I thought I would let you know that we just ran over Santa.

Sister Billings and I just started laughing.

Well, there goes Christmas.  The Grinch doesn't have to steal it this year.

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving, here is a list of what I am thankful for, especially being on a mission:

- going to church every week

- Heavenly Father's patience

- a car

- other missionaries that inspire to do better

- laughing

- people who read the Book of Mormon

- when words come out of my mouth when contacting

- support of my wonderful family

- and more and more

Thank you.  I love all y'all.

Go with God,

Sister Turley

I'm not lost. (Although some people here think I am.)

Dear Family and Friends,

I know.  I didn't write last week.  [insert maniacal laughter here  (if that so pleases you)]  Let me explain why.

On November 5, my district had interviews with President Bernhisel.  One of his first questions was if I felt I was more adaptable than when I first came on my mission.  I replied that I feel I adapt pretty well, even before my mission.  Then, he interviewed me.  Then, he told me that Sister Frampton's visa had arrived.  That is exciting!  But, the Norway Oslo Mission's transfers were in one week.  So, she would be leaving on Monday.

So, we traveled to Raleigh on November 11.  Raleigh is almost 2 1/2 hours from Wilmington, depending on who is driving as it always goes.  So, we spent the day traveling.  We dropped Sister Frampton off at the mission office, and the mission office sisters were going to drop her off at the airport.  I also got the chance to change my home address and ward while I was there.  Then, I traveled home.  My companions for the next few hours were a mother and daughter from the Wilmington wards.  The daughter is in the YSA branch, and the mother is in the ward I am serving in.  That was fun.  I love the Lynches.

Then, I met the Wilmington 1st sisters.  We got my suitcase and my food and headed to the Zone Leaders' apartment.  We had to get a foam pad from them that I could sleep on.  Then, we went to the Wilmington 1st sisters' apartment.

On Tuesday, November 12, we had a mission tour where Elder Baxter talked to us.  The meeting was in Fayetteville, which is about two hours away from Wilmington.  So, we spent the day traveling and also sitting on our bottoms listening to a seventy tell us how to find people to teach.  Needless to say, I was very excited when we got to do some exercising in the morning.  I was so thankful that I got to stretch.

Wednesday, we did transfers with the Sister Leaders.  So, we got to travel for an hour to Holly Ridge to pick up the Sister Leader and drop off Sister Likovich, one of the Wilmington 1st sisters.  Then, we headed back to Wilmington.  Then, we had to switch back the next morning as well.

Then Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were fairly normal days.  Sunday, we went to 5 hours of church and also had a few other meetings.  Then, we had a church tour with one of my (Wilmington 2nd's) investigators.  And, today is Preparation day, so I am actually sending a letter.

Tomorrow is transfer day.  I get to travel to Raleigh again.  I get another companion.  I set a personal record this transfer for companions per transfer.  I only had four: Sister Budge, Sister Frampton, Sister Doty, and Sister Likovich.  I am starting my 5th transfer tomorrow, and I have already had six companions.  Tomorrow I get another visa-waiter.  The ward members joke that I am going to be in the Wilmington 2nd ward for my entire mission.  The Lord must have a work for me to do.

I know this church is true.  I know that life changes quickly.  I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet.  I know that Savior lives.  I know that through the Atonement we can change our lives.  This is a gospel of forgiveness.  This is a gospel in enduring with smiles on our faces.  I love all y'all.  I hope you are doing well.  Heavenly Father loves all y'all too.

Go with God,

Sister Turley

It's almost Christmas! . . . I mean, Halloween.

Sorry, this is the email from last week  --Sister Turley

Dear Family and Friends,

Welp, I got a new companion this week.  I know, it wasn't transfers this week; my other companion went home on Medical Release.  And, I am on a roll: having a change in companionship every transfer.  Yet, I am still in the same area.  I don't think that will change next transfer either.  My new companion is Sister Frampton.  She is waiting for her visa. She will be heading to Norway.  We don't know when it will come, but I am guessing it is coming sometime at the end of this transfer.  She has been in North Carolina for a week, so I am training again.  And, I get an hour of language study every day.  I get to hear a lot of prayers in Norwegian.  I am sure I will come out of this companionship with a few Norwegian phrases stuck in my head.  I already have a few.

I have to say, Sister Frampton is my most motivated companion so far.  I love it.  She actually takes action and plans and invites herself over to have lessons.  She is willing to keep working during the entire day.  I love it.  I am so excited for this transfer.  I have a lot of hope for this transfer.

On Saturday, the Wilmington 2nd ward had their Halloween Party.  So, we first got some service in by helping the Relief Society President get hot dogs ready.  Sister Frampton, the brother we were working with (Brother N), and I had a pretty good system.  I would open the buns, Sister Frampton would hold the buns while Brother N put the hot dogs in the buns, and then Sister Frampton would close them and set them in the trays.  We got to do this for a few hundred hot dogs.  I didn't end up eating any hot dogs, but I had some chili that was made for the chili cook-off.

After dinner was trunk-or-treat.  We had a fantastic turnout.  Sister Frampton and I talked to so many less active members and nonmembers.  I got to talk to a girl named Savannah.  She is not a member, but she has been coming to church for a while now.  She went to Youth Conference this summer, and she is going to seminary now.  She comes to church and seminary with the Stake President's daughter.  I got to talk to her, and then I talked with the Stake President's wife.  I feel that we might be getting a new investigator sometime soon.

Sunday was the Primary Program.  And, the women with callings in Primary have been working for weeks to get children to invite their friends to come see what they do in Primary/church.  There were a few families that came that I had never seen before.  Sister Frampton and I split up to meet different people.  She got quite a few more appointments than me, but I will work on that.  I am constantly working on being more bold.  I have a lot of work to do in that area.

Sister Frampton and I had an interesting conversation about God last night.  A question that I posed was, "Because God cannot lie, isn't that limiting God?"  The conclusion that I have come to in my mind is that because God also has agency, just like all of His children, He does have a choice to lie or to tell the truth.  But, because He chooses to tell the truth, He shows how much power He has.  He is able to create more and give more because He chooses to tell the truth.  Elder Jeffrey R. Holland states, "The Father's course was one of agency and choice--the freedom to err but ultimately the freedom to succeed."  This comes from his talk in the September 2013 Ensign.I read it this week, and it is great.  Will you all read it again this week? 

Apparently, I had a lot more to say this week than last.  I love all y'all.  I hope you have a fantastic week.   Doctrine and Covenants 100:1.  I know that God is doing this for me, but I don't exactly understand how He is doing it and planning on doing this.  Life comes, but the Lord knows about it a lot more than we do.

Go with God,

Sister Turley

Cemeteries and No Soliciting

Dear Family and Friends,

I thought I would send some pictures.  Yay. So exciting.

This picture is of Sister Frampton and me.  We took this picture on October 28 (last Monday, and also Sister Frampton's birthday).  We got to go to the beach with the other Sisters, who are serving in the Wilmington 1st ward.

This was a less active week.  We saw a lot of less active members this week.  We are here to reactivate.  We have been getting better at having visiting teachers come with us.  We are hoping to find more and more this week as well.  We will keep on keepin' on.  (That is a phrase that people like out here.)

Okay, this is one last picture.  I took this picture when Sister Budge was still my companion.  It looks like we won't be going into that neighborhood much anymore.  I don't know if I have said this already, but I am going to say it again: every neighborhood is a 'no soliciting' neighborhood. 

Sorry I don't have more to write.  I am working, I promise.

Go with God,

Sister Turley